IPL spot-fixing: 'Ajit Chandila was paid to spot-fix in another match'

Ajit Chandila of Rajasthan Royals was about to spot fix in another Indian Premier League (IPL) match too, for which he had taken Rs.15 lakh from a Punjab-based bookie, when he was arrested May 16, police claimed in New Delhi on Wednesday.

During interrogation, Chandila has revealed the name of another bookie, Deepak Kumar, 35, a resident of Patiala, in Punjab.

"Kumar contacted Chandila April 4 and a meeting was held between them in a Chandigarh hotel for spot fixing in the match played between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 17 in Hyderabad. In this match, he was supposed to play," said a Delhi Police officer.

Chandila also received Rs.15 lakh from Kumar, who is a property dealer.

Ajit Chandila

He took money for bowling a manipulated over in the May 17 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad but was arrested May 16, investigators claimed Wednesday.

Delhi Police have claimed that "four sets" of people involved in spot fixing racket have surfaced during the interrogation of three Rajasthan Royals players S. Sreesanth, Chandila and Ankeet Chavan and 15 bookies who were arrested from Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi.

Chandresh Patel, Manan and Amit Singh were in the first set of bookies. The second set of bookies includes Sunil Bhatia, Kiran Dole, Pinku and Ramakant Aggarwal. Deepak Kumar was among the third set of bookies with an absconding bookie.

This would have been the fifth match targetted by the bookies for spot fixing, the previous ones being the matches on May 5, 9, 12 and 15.

The spot fixing could not happen in the May 12 match as the two players whom the bookies roped in could not play the match.

The investigators also voiced suspicion about an arrested bookie Sunil Bhatia fixing matches of the Bangladesh Premier League earlier after interrogating him.

The bookie had also claimed that he fixed some matches of the rebel Indian Cricket League, police sources said.

Asked whether the three Rajasthan Royals players spoke to bookies directly, the officer said: "Initially they were contacted by friends like Jiju and Amit Singh. Slowly, slowly the players also got in contact with the bookies."

About evidences against Sreesanth, he said they have enough evidence against the player.

On the relations between Sreesanth and Jiju, he said the latter has been serving the pacer in different capacities.

"He is sometimes a driver for him, a friend, a fellow player. Sreesanth was very supportive of Jiju. They used to move together. We have CCTV footages."

He also said that bookie Ramesh Vyas and actor Vindoo Dara Singh have no link with their case.